Say 'Ohoy' to Cairo's First Filipino Bakery

We might know a thing or two about Chinese, Japanese and Thai food, but other Asian cuisines unfortunately often get swept under the rug – which is why it was quite refreshing to stumble upon Tinapay.

The Filipino panaderia, which translates to “bakery” in Tagalog and Spanish, opened its doors a few weeks ago in Maadi. If you’re wondering what Filipino breads and pastries are, however, let us – or the super Filipina woman behind the shop – enlighten you.

“As a nation tied to a vibrant food culture, beloved staples have become a huge part of the Filipino lifestyle. A popular must-have in every local dining table is tinapay, which means bread in my language,” Laura Des tells us. “And that is exactly how my shop was born.”

Tinapay offers most types of Filipino breads and pastries, Des explains, but the one item everyone always obsesses over is pandesal. “Regardless of your socioeconomic status, all Filipinos eat pandesal every day,” she stresses.

What makes pandesal stand out is that its bread easily lends itself well to a number of spreads. Des explains. The most common spreads that go with the bread are coconut jam, peanut butter, butter and ube jam (a popular Filipino spread, which you can purchase at the shop, made from mashed purple yam).

From the Spanish pan de sal, which literally means "salt bread," is a bread roll made of flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, and salt. What makes pandesal stand out is that it easily lends itself well to a number of spreads, Des tells us. The most common spreads that go with the bread are coconut jam, peanut butter, butter and ube jam (a popular Filipino spread, which you can purchase at the shop, made from mas1hed purple yam).

Tinapay also offers Filipino breakfast on weekends, be it at the bakery itself or for delivery.